I have a monthly column now in gamesindustry.biz as well as eurogamer.net, and the deadlines coincide. So I’m writing them as companion pieces where I can. This month, they both have to do with the relationships between games and the real world.

Meanwhile, I’ve been plugging on with Cultist Simulator! I’ve rebuilt the original prototype in Unity, and I’ve added features since. I want to share an alpha before Christmas, once I’ve fancied up the UI. I’ve been working with Martin Nerurkar for UI consultancy, and Catherine Unger for illustration (I’d enthusiastically recommend both of them) and we’re nearly there:

This looks very different from the prototype, but the same principles apply – you’re combining Things and Stuff and People and Concepts to decipher texts or explore dreams or open tombs, and using what you find to pursue personal enlightenment and/or destroy the world. If it looks interesting, here’s where you need to sign up for the alpha.